Alliant hiked to Buy at UBS on data center power opportunities

[Power lines and sunset landscape]
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Alliant Energy (NASDAQ:LNT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LNT]) +0.7% in Friday's trading as UBS upgraded shares to Buy from Neutral with a $79 price target, bumped up from $74, citing the utility company's unique position to capitalize on additional load and generation investment required to meet surging data center demand.

UBS analysts led by William Apicelli raised their FY 2028 earnings estimate to $4.13/share vs. $3.97 consensus, saying the higher estimate is supported by expectations for the QTS-Madison data center, and the bank anticipates this capital will be incorporated into plans on the anticipated Q3 call on November 7.

Apicelli believes Alliant's (NASDAQ:LNT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LNT]) current valuation reflects minimal value for data center growth, considering the magnitude of the capex relative to the company's size, which it sees as a significant growth opportunity.

The bank expects continued significant and sustained interest from data centers seeking power
solutions, noting neighboring utilities have announced data center projects upwards of 2 GW, showing the surging demand in its Wisconsin-Iowa region, and Alliant (LNT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LNT]) has indicated a requirement for 1.5 GW of new generation capacity to support load demands in its discussions with data centers.

MORE ON ALLIANT ENERGY

* Alliant Energy: Navigating The Data Center Boom At A Full Valuation [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4822679-alliant-energy-navigating-the-data-center-boom-at-a-full-valuation]
* Alliant vs. WEC Energy: Midwest Utilities Navigating New Demand And Old Risks [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4796060-alliant-vs-wec-energy-midwest-utilities-navigating-new-demand-old-risks]
* Alliant Energy Q2 2025 Earnings Call Presentation [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4811203-alliant-energy-corporation-2025-q2-results-earnings-call-presentation]